Page 13 of Winter Wish

He paused, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “I heard your voice before I ever saw you, did you know that?”

Jorie shook her head, sniffling as she wiped her nose against his chest. Ezra winced at the smear of snot on his bare skin but reminded himself that, thankfully, they were still in the shower.

“Then I saw you in one of the images on the slideshow at your booth,” he continued. “I was mesmerized... and disgusted.”

“Disgusted? Why? What did I do?” Jorie yelped, her eyes wide.

“You didn’t do anything except be your adorable little self. I was disgusted with myself, Jorie. Disgusted by the lust I felt just from catching a glimpse of you in a photo. I’m twelve years older thanyou, for Christ’s sake! I’m almost old enough to be your father. Hell, in some countries I probably am!”

“Does that mean I should call you Daddy?” she quipped, a mischievous glint lighting her eyes.

Ah, the little smart ass. Ezra’s lip curled into a half-smile as his hand slid down her body, pinching her rear in retaliation. Jorie jumped, a trilling giggle spilling from her lips.

He wanted nothing more than to banter and play with his girl, but there were more important matters to address. He needed to finish their conversation—and clean up the mess the executive producer had created. That bastard would get his, either from Ezra or Aaron.

“Jorie,” Ezra said, his tone serious now. “You are one hell of a mechanic. Aaron and I both saw that—not just in your work, but in the way your team respected you. You earned this job through your own skill and competence. Did we have other candidates in the running? Yeah, we did. But do you know what the deciding factor for hiring you was?”

Jorie bit her lip, nerves dancing in her gaze as she met his eyes, then nodded.

“You were the only one willing to relocate to Wintervale. You got this job because you’re the best fit for the position. Nothingmore, nothing less. As for the show? The negotiations weren’t finalized, and the contract wasn’t signed until last week.”

“Really?” Excitement lit up her face, her eyes sparkling.

“Really. Want to know something else?” A teasing smile curved his lips.

“What else?” she asked, her tone demanding but laced with curiosity.

“I really want to fuck you—but the water’s turning cold.”

Jorie rose onto her tiptoes, looping her arms around Ezra’s neck. “Pick me up,” she commanded, her voice low and breathless.

Ezra obliged, his large hands steadying her as her soft, wet skin pressed against him. Her perfectly rounded breasts molded to his chest, her legs curling around his waist to trap the growing heat between them. With her hips tilting forward, she locked her heels at the small of his back and leaned in close to whisper in his ear.

“Then maybe you should turn it off… Daddy.”

Ezra threw his head back, laughter rumbling through him, deep and unrestrained. Then he tightened his hold and made it abundantly clear who was truly in charge.

Chapter 11

2Months Later

Jorie finished up the final job on the docket and carefully moved the car outside for its owner, a shy young woman with a newborn baby, to pick up. She found herself curious about their story. All she knew was that they were out-of-towners, and the mom, Neely, didn’t seem to know a soul in Wintervale.

Jorie hadn’t asked too many questions when she gave Neely a ride after Ezra had called her to bring the SUV to the towing job he was handling. Still, something about the situation raised her suspicions. Trouble seemed to be shadowing the young mother, so Jorie had made sure to share both her work and cell numbers, along with an open invitation for lunch while Neely was in town.

After shedding her coveralls and washing her hands, Jorie strolled through the shop and into Ezra’s office. She was surprised to find him sitting there, his head bent low as he massaged the back of his neck.

Without hesitation, Jorie slipped around the desk and leaned into his broad frame, letting her hands take over the job of loosening the tense muscles in his neck and shoulders.

“God,” Ezra groaned, relaxing under her skilled touch, “you have magic fingers.”

“And you…” she teased with a wicked grin, “have a magic cock.” Her words were a playful jab, meant to coax one of his deep, sexy laughs. Every time she succeeded, it set her whole body humming—and not just with laughter.

Ezra sputtered, caught off guard, but then his laughter rumbled out, warm and rich.

“What’s going on? Anything I can do to help?” Jorie hated seeing the weight of the world pressing down on Ezra’s broad shoulders. He carried too much on himself, juggling the business and the front office while preparing for the reality TV show that would start filming in a month. The longer hours and custom orders already coming in were adding to his stress.

“Not unless you know an office manager-slash-accountant willing to relocate to the wild, bustling metropolis ofWintervale,” Ezra joked. Wintervale was anything but a metropolis. The quaint tourist town prided itself on being free of big-city chaos, just the way its residents liked it. However, its small size made it tough to find qualified help.

“As a matter of fact, I do. Jolie graduates in a couple of weeks.” Jorie grinned. Technically, her sister had already graduated but stayed back for one last class and a short internship at home. It was her way of easing out from under their overprotective father and his club brothers before breaking free to live life on her own terms—just like Jorie had.

“Yeah? And how exactly am I supposed to handle having both of you in the same town and the same business?” Ezra mock-lamented, leaning back in his chair.

Jorie rolled his chair away from the desk, swung her leg over, and settled onto his lap. Ezra’s hands found her immediately, gripping the cheeks of her ass and giving them a firm squeeze. She closed her eyes, savoring his touch before draping her arms around his neck.

But just as she was about to let herself slip fully into the E-zone, she leaned in close and whispered in his ear.

“Daddy…you couldn’t handle me and my sister together. We’d break an old man like you.”

Ezra growled low in his throat, a mischievous glint lighting up his eyes. “Naughty little princess…I’ll show you who’s old.”

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